Creative thinking on collaborative & transformative processes for a better world

12/17/2012

Growing the Commons as Meta-narrative?

How about 'Growing the Commons' as a meta-narrative for a paradigm shift?

Ann Pendleton-Jullian in her Power and Ecosystems of Change talk suggests that a new type of metanarrative is much needed to change the world. Something strategically ambiguous towards which to head despite our differences, and that would aggregate coherence from a variety of disparate micro narratives that shape events and build trust at the grassroots level. She talks about networks and how network architectures change power structures, and describes ecosystems of change as scaffold to aggregate different kinds of powers and mecanisms that are out there, and support the emergence of the new until it becomes strong enough.

The idea of growing or expanding the commons as meta-narrative and the type of ecosystem of change that could support it are worth looking into. An idea I developed in 'Common-Sense Commons' as a guiding vision for a Self-Caring System & Thrivable World. A vision with a transitive verb attached to it conveys an idea of 'movement', 'action', 'agency' and potential engagement. It can draw people in from beyond the intentional commons circles and traditional 'supporters' of the commons.

The growth
imperative, as we have experienced, is a great
generator of engagement and action! It got [almost] everyone these last
decades rolling up their sleeves to do it best -and not only for self
enrichment-. Unfortunately not applied with discernment, nor to the
right things, and with the result that we know: the consumption of our host and part of our social fabric!
Much would change if, rather than applied indiscriminately to GDP and
profits at all cost, to means
that lose tracks of ends, or to extraction, consumption, addictions, and other
toxic, enclosing or exploitative behaviors and practices, growth was directed at (re)generating, and
expanding a variety of enabling resources and outcomes (capabilities,
abundance, health, well being, thrivability, resilience, creativity, knowledge...), and all types
of ways of doing things right, with an eye on how it impacts the whole
as well. An outlet for our intentions, attention and cognitive surplus!

The commons in its widest definition is 'fuzzy' and ambiguous enough to encompass many forms: objects (resources, biological commons, knowledge & digital commons...), processes (manners in which, commoning, nurturing, regenerating...) and outcomes (consequences such as well-being, prosperity, capability...) that connect people together and to their contexts and/or place. Commons convey an idea of togetherness and mutuality, of care and responsibilities. It holds an ethical dimension. Commons are at the same time whole and parts, input and output, medium and outcome... As a living system commons accomodates complexity. Yet at the same time there is a potential to make the language of the commons simple and relevant.

Much of the initiatives around sustainability, resilience, thrivability, or social innovation strive to maintain the integrity and grow or nurture a piece of the commons, and could be thought and expressed in terms of their impact on the commons even if not organized as intentional commons. These initiatives would gain from a commons discourse that would help forward their own activity and the commons as a whole at the same time.

Each
individual or group has a different definition of the commons and a
'prefered' commons to focus his/her attention and efforts towards. Each has a
different story to tell. A convergence generating meta-narrative such as growth of the commons would ensure a variety of solutions necessary to make the system resilient, without having to chose or prioritize; enabling small or large steps to add up in meaningful ways, consistent with the values that each wish to see in the world, from which ever place they wish to start from, the impact thereof being greater than the sum of the parts!

Several approaches are based on a wide multidimensional view of the commons and on a transition that springs partly from the current paradigm:

We should multiply opportunities to formulate this meta-narrative and examine how various micro-narratives could be expressed in relation to the commons, which mecanisms could empower engagement and how networks could enable it. This would generate discussions on the basic principles for the integrity of the commons and how they would be best 'grown', providing some feedback on the modalities and boundaries of 'growth', transforming in the process the definition of growth itself. It would give the commons a voice, and set a framework to prevent or limit further enclosure, cooptation and corruption of the commons and the commons vocabulary. It would provide a basis for viral communication.

So what type of commons does your activity grow or replenish, and how? To what extend does your activity deplete the commons and what could you do about it?

You are right Wouter! Networks is what changes the whole landscape and enables the scaffold and an effective ecosystem for change. I probably omitted to describe the whole elements of the scaffold. Let me change this.

Thanks for your comment Jessie. I'm not sure what you mean with this question. She does not speak of ecology, and the scaffold she talks about is more virtual than real...

I sense some criticism of what Ann Pendleton is saying here... But can't quite grasp your point. Is it possible to encompass the whole and all the dimensions of a topic every time we speak? Is it innate to each of us to speak of reality and what we think in our heads in different words :)

Aggregating and factoring (tagging, rating, linking) experiential micro-narratives in terms of an intuitive / ontological framework of commons wealths is where I believe the evolutionary macro-narrative will be seen to emerge in resonant patterns of currency, including attention and imagination.

Let's explore a fundamental iconographic conceptology for the What - How - Why dimensions of tangible accomplishment toward regenerative culture and vibrant ecosystems. I'm interested in taxonomic trees for ease of navigation, but the primary goal is a shared visual tag (icon) set, with an open library of translations into different linguistic and semantic interpretive maps. Tie this metadata onto more familiar mapping functionality (who - when - where) and the big picture begins to crystalize / catalyze quite nicely. I think we'll need to sort out distributed trust-linked datastores to collect tag/rating info by user-in-context (domain, community, association, etc.) but first things first!

I've been sketching around these goals for a while, and want to continue to host open discussion and development. I'll offer a new rizzoma topic for anyone reading here who may like to chime in:

Great thanks Benjamin! I remember you were onto something quite akin to what I had in mind. I think I shared with you already the pearltree (http://pear.ly/bufaT) I temporarily created to navigate the alternatives awaiting for some more relevant ways to navigate between wikipedia pages and keep track of evolution of memes through generation of hyperlinks toward related themes...

I'll be looking at the rizzoma with interest. Let's keep each other posted.

We're growing a commons founded on renewable resources to build a marketplace where conservation serves personal self-interest. Sounds counterintuitive perhaps? The key is discounting local renewable energy when purchased with community money. http://reconomy.net

David, thank so much for this intervention and quotation on your post! I understand Ann Pendleton has based some of her work here on your research. I hope we can have an opportunity to exchange further on these questions.